Change of circumstances if you get a Centrelink payment
It’s important to tell us if your circumstances change, so we can give you the right Centrelink payment.
There are changes to claims and your obligations due to coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes changes to waiting periods, the income test, what you need to give us, and your obligations. We’ve suspended participation requirements for Disability Support Pension. We’ve also paused a range of Centrelink debt raising and recovery activities.
What to tell us
You need to tell us if there are changes to:
- your personal and contact details
- your bank details
- your relationship status, for example if you become partnered or separated
- care arrangements for anyone in your care, including your children
- your work status
- your study, including any changes to your study load
- your gender identity - gender updates are optional
- your accommodation details - use the accommodation details form to do this
- your living arrangements if you’re single and start sharing your accommodation with anyone outside your family who’s 16 or older - use the relationship details form to do this.
You also need to tell us if:
- you're leaving the country, temporarily or to live somewhere else
- you get a lump sum payment
- your or your partner's income or assets change.
If you owe us money but no longer get a Centrelink payment
It’s still important to tell us when there’s a change to your circumstances. If you move house and still owe us money, you need to tell us within 14 days after the change.
There are different ways you can repay your debt. Read more about owing money.
How to tell us
You can tell us about a change to your circumstances using one of our self service options.
For Centrelink use your:
- Centrelink online account through myGov
- Express Plus Centrelink mobile app
- Centrelink phone self service.
For Medicare use your:
For Child Support use your:
Read more about what you can do using self service.
If you don’t have access to a self service option please contact us.
When you get a payment from us
There’s more information about what you need to do to tell us about changes in your circumstances. Read more about how a change in your circumstances will affect your payment if you get:
- ABSTUDY
- Age Pension
- Austudy
- Child Care Subsidy
- Carer Payment
- Carer Allowance
- Dad and Partner Pay
- Disability Support Pension
- Double Orphan Pension
- Family Tax Benefit
- JobSeeker Payment
- Parental Leave Pay
- Parenting Payment
- Youth Allowance for job seekers
- Youth Allowance for students and apprentices.
Where there’s related information
Read more about:
Page last updated: 3 April 2020